I Dreamt of Stars, I was Given a Planet: The Scientific Triumphs of Dr.

Josette Biyo
Barredo, Denise Ann
Cantanero, Reivin Louise
Rivera, Jack Lorenz
11-Mendeleev

I. INTRODUCTION

A lot of children looked up to the skies and marveled at the different heavenly bodies there.
The stars, the comets, the moon, and the other celestial bodies that can be seen from the earth made
most of us in awe of their beauties. Later on, in school, we knew that some of them have their own
names, and naming them is a tedious task.

When a certain heavenly body was discovered, this difficult task of naming begins. Williams
(2018) mentioned that most heavenly bodies, discovered in ancient times, are named after characters
on Roman and Greek mythologies, but after 1919, a formal guideline on naming them was created
and accepted by the International Astronomical Union.

In the case of asteroids, the discoverers of asteroids are allowed to propose any kind of name
they feel like. A certain astronomer named Giuseppe Piazzi named the asteroid he discovered which
became the first dwarf planet, named Ceres. Currently, the discoverers of asteroids are responsible for
proposing the names but there are rules, and their proposals might get denied (Koren, 2017).

However, in accordance with the records of Minor Planet Center (IAU, 2018) there are
astronomical institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, that
established Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) Project which focuses on major
systematic asteroid discoveries, chose to name the asteroids they discovered after people who
contributed significant works in the field of science. For instance, in the year 2002 the (MIT) Lincoln
Laboratory, USA headed by Dr. Grant Stokes, sent a letter to Dr. Josette Biyo stating that a minor
planet initially called Planet 13241 would be renamed after her, who is a Filipino educator. Now, this
asteroid is more renowned as Planet Biyo (Patron, 2014).

As stated by The Glimpse (2013), Planet Biyo is actually an asteroid located between Mars
and Jupiter. Discovered only in 1998, Planet Biyo measures 3 to 9 kilometers in diameter. It is
minuscule considering that our planet is more than 12,000 kilometers in diameter. Interestingly, it
takes three and a half years to complete an orbit.

In connection to that, the honor of having Planet Biyo was actually part of Dr. Biyo’s
winnings and scientific achievements. In the year 2002, Dr. Josette Biyo, the teacher of Philippine
Science High School Ilo-Ilo won the 2002 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in
Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the first Asian teacher to bag the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award.
According to CSC (2014), she was born on March 19, 1958, in January, Iloilo. She earned her
bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of the Philippines Visayas in Miagao,
intending to continue to medical school. Instead, she took a teaching post and afterward earned a
Ph.D. in biology from De La Salle University in Manila In 2004, Biyo was conferred with an
honorary doctorate in humanities by the Manila Central University. She now serves as the directress
of the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI). As claimed
by DOST-SEI (2016), one of her latest awards as the SEI chief of DOST was the prestigious
Educational Leadership Award from the World Education Congress of CMO Asia since she showed
an exemplary leadership and have made a difference in the communities she served.

I dreamt of stars, I was given a planet: The Scientific Triumphs of Dr. Josette Biyo is a
qualitative study that tends to answer the question on: “ How effective are Dr. Josette Biyo’s teaching
strategies and how it helped in gaining her greatest success of giving pride in the Philippines through
Planet Biyo?” This research looks into the perspective of Dr. Biyo in the field of research, as well as
the effectiveness of her proposed teaching strategies and innovations for science courses.

The study shows the very story of success of Dr. Biyo and her other scientific triumphs. The
research also included the challenges and hardships Dr. Biyo faced and how she overcome such
problems. The researchers’ key participant is Dr. Josette Biyo. She will need to answer the question
“What were your experiences before, during and after receiving the Intel ISEF Learning in Excellence
Award which served as the peak of your triumph in the Science and Education field?” The research
will only be restricted on her journey through prevailing the excellence award that gave a glorious
moment for the Philippines. She will explain the reason behind choosing to stay in the Philippines
and continue serving the Filipinos, despite receiving greater opportunities abroad.

The researchers chose to pursue this study because of its significance, and its possible impact on
the hearts of students, teachers, and women of science. The proponents believe that this study can
benefit other people especially that:

1. This study will serve as an inspiration not only to the women pursuing science but also to all
other women who are facing hardships.
2. This paper explored and presented different opportunities in the field of science to widen
knowledge on researches.
3. This research discussed the different scientific processes that are not known to common high
school students such as the specific process of naming heavenly bodies.
4. This research may serve as a beacon of light and hope to all the students who are
experiencing financial hardships, exactly like what Dr. Biyo suffered.
5. This study can serve as an inspiration and guide for aspiring teachers so that they may see
teaching as not merely a profession, but a passion in which they can be an instrument in
transforming a person and community.
6. This research can also be a motivation for all researchers that they may have a perspective
align with Dr. Biyo, who views research as a joy of discovering new things in nature, making
all the physical and mental exhaustion in making researches worthwhile.
7. This study can help enhance the Philippine education system based on Dr. Biyo’s research on
science course teaching strategies and innovations in spite of the country’s ubiquitous
problem in lack of equipment and facilities for scientific endeavors.

This research paper studied the ups and downs of the life of Dr. Josette Biyo, how she
overcame her life's obstacles and problems that all lead to her becoming immemorial in our space by
having a planet, Planet Biyo, named after her. May this research paper be an inspiration to students,
teachers, and scientists not only in the Philippines but also in the whole world.